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Houston Museums: Explore your City

This month’s lobby display features books and publications about museums in the Houston Museum District. With a location in the heart of the Museum District, the UST campus provides students with easy access to 19 museums within a 1.5 mile radius. Most offer a student discount for entry, so there’s no better time to take advantage of what the area has to offer than during your time as a member of the UST community.

Houston Museum of Natural Science– Since its founding in 1909, the goal of the Houston Museum of Natural Science has been to educate the public with knowledge in natural science and related subjects. Dinosaur skeletons, gemstones, and a garden full of butterflies are just a few of the exhibits visitors can explore.

Museum of Fine Arts Houston – Opened in 1924, the Houston’s Museum of Fine Arts was the first art museum in Texas. With over 300,000 square feet of display space and 18 acres of gardens, it remains one of the largest art museums in the United States and welcomes over 2.5 million visitors each year.

Bayou Bend Collection and Gardens – Bayou Bend is the MFAH house museum for American decorative arts and paintings. Displayed in the former home of Houston civic leader and philanthropist Ima Hogg (1882–1975), the collection is one of the finest showcases of American furnishings, silver, ceramics, and paintings in the world.

Buffalo Soldiers National Museum – Houston’s Buffalo Soldier Museum is dedicated to preserving the legacy of the Buffalo Soldiers, the last of which served during World War II.

Contemporary Arts Museum Houston – The Contemporary Arts Museum Houston is a non-collecting institution dedicated to presenting the best and most exciting international, national and regional art of the last 40 years. Founded in 1948, the Museum prides itself on presenting new art and documenting its role in modern life through exhibitions, lectures, original publications and a variety of educational programs and events.

Asia Society Texas – Asia Society is the leading global and pan-Asian organization working to strengthen relationships and promote understanding among the people, leaders, and institutions of the United States and Asia. Visit the Center throughout the year for performances, art exhibits, craft activities, and lectures.

The Menil Collection – The Menil Collection opened in 1987 to preserve and exhibit the art collection of John and Dominique de Menil. Considered one of the most important privately assembled collections of the twentieth century, the Menil hosts a diverse collection of both modern art and ancient artifacts, housed in a building designed by architect Renzo Piano.

The Rothko Chapel –The Rothko Chapel, founded by Houston philanthropists John and Dominique de Menil, was dedicated in 1971 as an intimate sanctuary available to people of every belief. A tranquil meditative environment inspired by the mural canvases of American painter Mark Rothko, the Chapel welcomes over 60,000 visitors each year, people of every faith and from all parts of the world.

For recommended museum-related books and resources from our collections, see our Pinterest board: